An Inventive Farmer

HAS A RAPID WAY OF PLANTING POTATOES

Grew Potatoes Three Years From Same Seed - Other Whitmore Lakes News

Whitmore Lake, Jan. 30. - Genius is not always found in our cities. Neither are all mechanical ideas put into practical mechanics as we will demonstrate. Timothy Fohey, a plain, every-day farmer, conceived the idea that potatoes could be grown from year to year without replanting and he in 1900 got seed potatoes which he placed in a basket and put in his cellar. The potatoes grew and small potatoes grew out of the old seed, the old one retaining its vitality. In 1901 the same seed was used in the same way and produced new potatoes. He repeated his experiment in 1902 with good results, new potatoes growing out of the seed which he used for three seasons. Mr. Fohey also last year was short of help in potato planting time and to overcome this obstacle he put his brains to work and after fitting his ground took a plow and horse and furrowed it out to drop the seed potatoes into. He then constructed a stone-boat with a box upon it to hold 10 bushels of seed potatoes. He loaded his seed hitched his horse to the boat and started the horse down the furrow, he riding and dropping the seed in front of the boat and behind the horse, and dropping the 10 bushels of seed in two hours. This year he has made an attachment to hitch behind the stone boat which covers the seed and levels off the ground as he goes. Mr. Fohey also advises me that 30 years ago he made and used the first implement for spraying potatoes three rows at a time with parisgreen and since then, he says, scores of devices have been made and put on the market from his concentration of mind. Mr. Fohey was showing our citizens, yesterday, a sample of his three years' growth of potatoes from the old seed which he has named the New Century potato.

Delos Rorabacher, who has lived in Toledo for the past seven years, has returned to Whitmore Lake and gone into the horse training business. He has built fine and conveniently appointed stables and is doing a good business. Mr. Rorabacher is an expert in his line and we bespeak for him good success. 

They say railroad and ice companies have no souls, of which we are in doubt for no sooner did the Toledo Ice Co. petition for a cold wave than down dropped the thermometer and today it is as cold as Blixen and the ice men have smilies both childish and bland. 

The appointment of Chas. L. Rane as deputy sheriff gives general satisfaction here. Mr. Rane will perform the duties of the office fearlessly and impartially.

MOSS.